Reduction of wall degradability of clindamycin-treated staphylococci within macrophages.
Clindamycin treatment of Staphylococcus aureus caused a remarkable thickening of the bacterial cell wall and made the bacterial wall much more resistant against lytic enzymes within bone marrow-derived macrophages as revealed by electron microscopy and radiolabeling experiments. This reduced wall degradability resulted from an increased number of O-acetyl groups in the murein. Furthermore, such clindamycin-treated bacteria were ingested by adherent bone marrow-derived macrophages at a higher rate than untreated bacteria. The medical aspects of these results are discussed.
Wecke
J
J
Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany.
Johannsen
L
L
Giesbrecht
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010587:Phagocytosis; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013997:Time Factors
D002981:Clindamycin